Isabel Allende is well known for blending Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, and personal experience into stories of characters that come alive off the page, and in Emilia del Valle we have a personality that escapes from the text into adventure. Emilia relates the story of her parentage even before delving into the story of her formative years in San Francisco, and transitions into becoming an author and reporter in an era where women just did not do such things. Emilia's connections to her parents, especially her step-father provides a solid foundation and a belief in herself that pushes her to defy societal convention. Craving adventure and a connection to the land of her biological father, she eventually travels to report on the Chilean civil war. The story is full of vibrant images of life in the late 19th century, war, and love. I delighted in being taken on Emelia's adventure with her, taking in the beauty and horrors of the world she moves through, connecting with all of the characters that she meets along the way, and finding a certain peace in the story's end. This is an enchanting read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.